1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastening device including a first male member adapted to engage a second female member in a locking assembly. More particularly, the present invention is directed to electrical connection boxes including a first element having either male or female electrical connections or conduits, which is designed to engage a cavity in a second element, associated with connection devices complementary to those associated with the first element, which are designed to function as locking devices for holding the two elements firmly together when one has been fitted into the other. The present invention is also directed to the connector or fastening devices for such electrical connection boxes, particularly fastening devices which automatically secure one member in an other member after a certain amount of force has been applied to insert the one member into the other member.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A number of electrical connection boxes of this general type are known wherein the locking action is effected by means of elastic or spring-type devices associated with one of the elements which interact with complementary devices associated with the other element when one element has been inserted wholly or partially into the other. In such conventional connection boxes, additional pressure to overcome the resistance of the elastic locking device or twisting action must normally be exerted at the end of the sliding movement of one of the elements into the other to ensure the interlocking of the two elements. If, however, this final additional force is not properly exerted, a firm locking engagement of the elements together often is not effected. The present invention has been developed to solve this problem commonly associated with conventional connection boxes.